Freedom
by AngelicRoseable
Summary: Despite the cheerful being she is, under it all she's still suffering from a past that can never be changed. A slave to many warriors, this is her tale of freedom, friendship and eventually love. Co-Authored with Sigzix
1. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

_"Auntie Nowi! Hurry up!"_

_"Hold on, Nyte! You can't play Mountain Grab unless you play fair; that includes waiting for me!"_

I stirred in my semi-conscious slumber; the voices continuing to float around my mind, acting more like a curse than any form of blessing. It was no coincidence that the past was once again trying to haunt me, and this time it really struck a nerve inside me. Whoever would have known that one promise to my nephew could have resulted in nearly a whole race being slaughtered right before my eyes; leaving me as the last and only Manakete?

_"Nowi, take me higher! I want to touch the peak!"_

_"Oh, alright; just don't strain your wings too hard, okay? The Dragonstone can only carry you so far, Nyte!"_

_"I know, auntie! I will be safe, I promise!"_

_"I hope so..."_

My body tensed as my chest began to tighten; limiting the air I struggled to grasp. This nightmare has already scarred me once, but back then it was reality. That day was the very last moment I lived in peace with my family, as well as my race. How could I ever forget that horrific day nearly two hundred years ago? I lost everything I had ever loved and lived for, only because I never took precautions before letting Nyte fly.

_"Nowi! Soldiers are approaching! Grab him and hide; NOW!"_

_"... What about you? Protect Nuia and yourself, please!"_

_"It's too late, they're here! Quickly, get to him! The archers are taking aim at you!"_

Mother, I wish I could have protected you... Vividly, I can remember batting my wings to the point where I was half way up our mountain paradise; gazing up at Nyte's darker presence and being ripped apart internally. I was frozen with panic; there was no way I could have reached him in time to get us both out; without either of us being shot and wounded. If I had been logical, I could have secured his safety sooner; but that never happened. When I finally did move; acting on my mother's command, it was far too late. The blazing arrows had already begun to dance through the mist of the air; barely missing the pair of us and making the situation far more unbarable.

_"Nyte; return to the cave; quickly_!" I had ordered him whilst flying as fast as I could to keep him away from those vulgar men and their destructive weapons. Deep down, I wished there was even a chance that he could have escaped; that the Plegian army weren't as great as rumours said. Obviously, doubting their ability was wrong; especially after a stray arrow fluently smashed Nyte's Dragonstone; wounding him severely in the process.

_"...Huh? NOWI!"_ Even to this day, I can still recall the fear in his scream. He couldn't have done anything else though, given the circumstances. We were being shot at and he was free falling from almost one hundred feet above the ground; not protected unlike his previous form. He was as fragile as a four year old human and I couldn't even justify why I was so grateful to have caught him in time; even if it meant I got wounded in the process.

_"Nowi; it's broken! My...stone is broken" _I remember him sobbing in my bright, scaled arms as I tried flying us both to safety; even with the scorching heat of the enemies blazing arrows beating against my frail wings. Giving up couldn't even cross my mind; my nephew was bleeding uncontrollably without even realizing and his strength was fading by the second. I needed to save him; that's all I processed through my mind. Without him; our new heir, the Manakete race had no chance of recovering after the onslaughts the armies had been commanding on us. There were only two other families left, besides my family so the chances of survival were already slim; seeing as most of the Manakete were female.

_"A-Are we safe now?"_

_"I don't know, Nyte. Now listen, you have to be a brave boy for me now, okay?"_

_"Is it because of those soldiers? Did they...get Mummy?"_

I wish I could have answered him; told him the truth so that he could understand, but that would have been cruel. To put him through that pain of losing everyone would have destroyed him, and I knew he didn't have long left. The way his blood coated my arms and ran down my chest was enough to send strong chills down my spine. The last of my family was dying right before my eyes and I couldn't do thing to prevent it. All I could do was watch as his life began to slip away. Screams and chants from the soldiers outside the cave were all I could hear, but they were irrelevant now; I just wanted my nephew to be at peace. Arrows would occasionally come close to hitting me, but I had managed to block the entrance with the width of my wings; protecting Nyte as much as I could. Praying and begging seemed to be the only thing I could do for him, hoping that a miracle would occur and that his life would be spared. However, I should have known better than to channel all my hopes of a life that had no chance of surviving; despite my last efforts.

_"Nowi... I-I...can't..."_ He had mumbled to me and I realized at that moment that he was passing. What I did next was my biggest mistake, the one that ruined my next two hundred years of life. I let down my guard; retracting the power of the Dragonstone and landing on my knees in my more humane form. Once I gazed at Nyte's lifeless body, the pain rippled through me and I couldn't hold it back anymore. My arms were already around him and pulling him to my chest; despite the wetness of his blood and the sudden flood of my salty tears. He was gone; I was left on my own due to my own failed attempt to save his young life.

Something inside me began to stir at that point in the nightmare; was it the guilt of my only nephew's death, or the pain resurfacing from the memory that lingered with it? At this very moment, I just wanted to open my eyes and stop this cold, corrupted scene from playing in my mind. However, my eyes were too heavy to respond to my internal pleas. As the scene continued, my remorse was halted by a dark shadow; shielding the only light from the entrance. After hearing his armoured footsteps, my security faded and I knew I wasn't alone.

_"Put the boy down, you dragon beast!"_ He had shouted; the tip of his long, silver blade pointed right up against my throat and making me flinch as a result. I followed his order, laying Nyte down carefully and edging away from him slowly so that his sword wouldn't pierce me. That was when I saw the chains.

_"You can either surrender to me, or you can become like your friend there; dead."_

At that point, I was wide awake; recovering from that crazy visit to dreamland, only to be met with the aftermath that I had to call reality. Breathing hard, and trying to ignore the stabbing pain of guilt inside me, I remembered back to that lone soldier; the one that finally breached our home, as well as my sense of happiness and security. The one that stole my life. My thoughts couldn't help but race around the possibility that I could have saved Nyte's life; that a soldier hadn't seen and followed me within the cave. That I could have possibly escape his threatening words and still live a life I knew how. Ever since that day though nearly two hundred years ago, I've been traded within armies all over different regions, used for entertainment and protection and have always been imprisoned like a slave. My actions were always restricted, despite the armies holding Dragonstones. I was always bound to fickle chains; beat whenever a toe stepped out of line and forced to live for their own selfish needs.

As I rose, rubbing my eyes, I realized I was in a completely different place than I was before. My dreams began in a guarded cell, curled up on the mossy stone. However this morning, I froze when I noticed a couple of hundred men stood in rows in front of me; a little lower than my ground height. Although, my most shocking discovery was when I noticed the rotten brass bars of a cage around me; captivating me once again. This wasn't my new army's base camp, no. This was another corrupted auction, and I was the prize.


	2. 1: Escaping

**_Chapter 1: Escaping_**

"The bidding for the last ever Manakete starts at three million-"

"What?!"

"That's no fair; how do we even know she's a Manakete to begin with, eh? Prove it!"

"Yeah, prove it! Ya travellers swindled us las' time; do it again and we'll 'ave at ya this time!"

And so, once again, the fighting began over something as worthless as my life. As I watched the scene play out in front of me, I couldn't help but imagine what differences would occur from the last auction I was forced upon. Would swords and bows be raised over accused dodgy dealing, or would I be expected to prove my worth by transforming for my shady seller; only to save him from brutal murder? One thing always stayed the same though; I was always confined within a cage whilst being forced to watch as those desperate men drooled over the thought of owning and using me. If they knew my true age, would they still want me? Who could ever lust over someone aged over a thousand?

"Drop the bid!"

"N-no; she is a Manakete! I saw her transform!" The seller's voice became that of panic as he began to feel more pressured than he already was.

"Well, make her 'transform' now then!"

After hearing the cries and cheers from the crowd, I knew the inevitable had occurred and I would once again be forced to prove my very existence to the world. The seller's desperate eyes gazed at mine, beckoning me to show them my true ability. Why do I always tolerate this despite everything that has happened to me? My only wish was to be free and to not be the only one left in the world. Deep down though, I knew that was impossible. Of course, I had heard the rumours; that one lone Manakete had escaped from an army far to the west, but the likelihood of that same Manakete still being free is unbelievably low. If I thought the rumours were false though, then why do I still hold it close to me for comfort? My only reason was loneliness and nothing more.

"Come on, little girl. Transform for us." The seller finally asked; his weak, crippled presence now in front of my ancient cage. "Please?"

Before I had the chance to speak, my eyes caught sight of the pale Dragonstone; smugly hidden within a loose, dirty sack that hung from his belt. He was prepared for this; he knew what he was doing. Does this mean he'd sold others like me before? I desperately hoped not, otherwise who knows what could have happened to them. If experience taught me well, what they've possibly gone through is enough to scare us for life; just like it has me. When I was with my family, I could have never predicted that something this twisted could have occurred. I was at peace before, with the love of my family and friends; but I lost it all the moment I failed to protect them. The very moment my only nephew died in my arms...

"Take this; you know what to do with it, little girl." He muttered, giving me my race's treasure. From just resting in within my palm, I could feel its energy run like heat up my frail arm and pass over my body; calming the nerves and worries I had felt before. I never realized how much I had missed the Dragonstone's comfort and strength, until now. It took every ounce of my strength to not transform right then and there; even though that was what I was expected to do. There was only one problem with that; there wasn't enough room within my cage to transform, without resulting in me getting injured.

"Sorry, but I need some more...space. It's too cramped in here." I told the salesman honestly, stretching my arms out and gripping the side bars with no effort. That was when I saw the panic in his eyes; he started to shake and sweat as if he were flashing between hot and cold in seconds. His skin went ridiculously pale, and I thought he may vomit any second from the pressure, until finally he got a hold of himself again; holding the door of my cage for support.

"...Okay, but only this once. And don't even consider escaping; the archers are within the perimeter." I just nodded in response. To escape hadn't even crossed my mind after the first time I was captured. Even if I was desperate to flee, to have a weapon pointed at my throat, or to even get myself dangerously wounded and die, was enough to tell me otherwise. After our genocide, how could I even consider saving myself when I would just end up the same way; being slaughtered by armed men?

My attention was caught again by the sudden noise of the iron bars dropping, and the door slowly creeping open. The audience began to chant and cheer, beckoning me to satisfy them all with who I really am. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to make of it; each and every army before had done the same thing. A part of me understood their reaction; they were desperate to have me, a lone rarity that they could manipulate into anything they truly desired. However when I occasionally thought of their reasons for wanting ownership of me, I couldn't help but think of them as greedy beasts; taking away the life and freewill of an innocent, living creature for their own corrupted ways. I was rarely a part of their army nor fought beside them as an equal. No. I was their entertainment; the one they would go to whenever stress got too much and they just needed to relieve themselves. It was always forceful; I never had the physical strength to protect myself. They always left me feeling humiliated and useless inside...

"Go on, beast; show yourself!" One loud, heavy armed soldier screamed from the crowd of many, and I finally decided to give it; even though my blood had finally began to boil. Closing my eyes, I posed with my arm right in the air; holding the Dragonstone tightly against my chest. A warm, familiar pulse radiated over my skin, making me shiver a little in delight. I could feel my wings forming and spreading in the air, letting me know it was time. In one quick movement, I back flipped perfectly, and caught myself mid-air with my glimmering, emerald wings. The true Manakete in me was released once more.

As I hovered before them, my wings gracefully flapping in a slow rhythm, the crowd remained in awe. At first I believe they were shocked by the sight of me, so much so that they couldn't express their feelings. As I finally focused my attention on them, I suddenly realized their real reaction. They were all stood, weapons in hand in some sort of defensive fear. This puzzled me; were they really not convinced previously that I was a real Manakete? Why would they even show their faces here if they weren't after me? In disbelief, I gazed at the auctioneer to be met with his disappearance. Was he afraid of me too?

"R-Right, Manakete; the moment you move, the moment you die..." A broad warrior spoke; pointing his sharp axe at me. Before I had the chance to respond, the pained shouts of two soldiers from behind him filled the air; followed by the thuds of their now lifeless bodies hitting the ground.

"Her name is Nowi. Anyone that hurts her will face Gregor's blade. Gregor not a pleasant man when he's mad..." A rough, but muscular man spoke. Gregor, if that's correct. Who this man was, though, I wasn't sure. Was he a man from one of the armies I had been captured by? I didn't recognize his face, and I was too far away to try and make out any distinct feature of him besides his large body. What was clear was that he was trying to defend me; willing to attack any of the many soldiers that stood before me, and for the first time in years, I finally saw my chance to escape this Hell.

The only thing that worried me was that I wasn't sure how.

If I wanted to escape, I couldn't do it in this form; the archers were still around the perimeter. If I was to fly away, they'd shoot me down immediately. It's hard to miss a bright coloured dragon, I believe. However, if I was in my human form, how would I ever sneak past them? I can't guarantee that this lone warrior would help me through; unless I helped him in the process. If I helped clear way of these soldiers, would he be willing help me take out the archers? Could I even risk taking out the soldiers myself? Would he possibly have the same thought as I did? No, that would be foolish. My survival was all that mattered to me; but what about my freedom? Since I didn't have many choices, I had to put my faith in Gregor's hands or else my end would soon become reality.

For a few moments, I watched Gregor fend of the many enraged soldiers, including the archers that I was worried about the most; noticing every blow that was dealt to him by mostly blunt weapons and very few small blades. At first, I wasn't alarmed; he had managed to wipe out a majority of soldiers and still had the energy to keep going. However, when I really paid attention, I began to see the pain, as I took notice of the strain his actions were having on him. What had slowly become heavy sloppy attacks was now becoming motions that weren't even aimed at the targets; leaving him to be struck time after time. I had to help him; otherwise his rescue would be in vain. The amount of blood he was shedding was now creating small puddles where he fought; he was getting paler as the pain was finally getting to him. I had to attack these monsters, and finally break free.

"Leave him alone!" I shouted, before taking one deep breath and unleashed a flurry of crystals at the enemy soldiers, watching them shattered as they collided with the soldiers, impaling and ripping them to shreds. It was an unsettling site, but I had seen a lot worse; from the ones I loved and not some dangerous humans. When I gazed at the aftermath, only a couple of soldiers were left standing, but Gregor had already noticed and with two quick movements had laid them to rest. We had done it; we were safe.

Deciding my Manakete form wasn't required any more, I slowly released its power back into the stone, and once again regained my human form. Just as I was about to celebrate our victory, Gregor had dug his sword into the grounded and slowly fell to his knees; grasping the handle as if he was trying to support himself. Worried, I quickly ran over to him, examining his wounds. There were quite a lot, especially along his large arms and possibly his chest; gathering from his blood stained clothes. That's when his eyes met mine; the struggle evident as he fought to keep them open as he breathed slowly but steadily. What made me calm down though was the weak but clear smile he wore on his face; he was just as happy as I was that we were safe and momentarily out of harm's way. That made me warm up a little inside.

"Thank you very much, little girl..." He muttered, his husky voice sounding rough, but alluring. All I could do to respond was smile and nod, due to my full attention being caught by his wounds. The blood had clotted, and dried on his skin, but the wounds itself needed to be tended to. Even a bandage for now would do.

"Will you be okay?"

"Camp is...just a field or two away. The wounds will be tended to there. In the meantime though, Gregor will remain tough." He spoke strongly, beginning to pull himself off of the blood stained battlefield. I knew he was trying to be brave for me, so I didn't bother questioning him any further.

That was when realization hit me; now that I was free to live my life again, I had no idea where to go, or even where I was compared the place I called home. As much as I wanted to trust Gregor, he is still just a human; despite the fact he saved my life. After losing my family, trusting any of the humans has become difficult; I never really spoke unless I had to and was always on the lookout for anyone that may try to harm me. After living like this for many years, becoming comfortable with humans wasn't going to happen any time soon. Despite the pain they had caused me, I honestly felt a tug of guilt when I knew I had to make my own way in the world contaminated by war.

"Thank you for rescuing me, Gregor. You're very brave," I muttered, looking away from him as he eventually got to his feet. "I must go and search for my home though. Do you think you'll make it back alright?"

"...Gregor wants you to come back to his camp, where you'll be safe." He told me, clearly worried about whether I'd be alright by myself. My answer was already at my lips though before I even thought about it.

"I can't; I'm sorry. You're very nice for saving me, but the sooner I'm able to return home, the better." I replied, feeling a little uneasy about not accepting his offer, but it was the way I felt as though it had to be. After being involved in many different armies, living in camps that treated you the same every time, and even tried selling you off, I couldn't bear to live with humans in a camp. With my new found freedom, all I desperately wanted was to get back home, and possibly search for any survivors of my long lost family. Maybe, just maybe, they would have survived. Who was I kidding? The soldiers would have finished them off...

"Okay, then. Many wishes for your safety..." Clearly disappointed by my choice, Gregor lifted his sword from the ground, waved at me, and began to walk through the narrow passage of forest behind him. I didn't move; I stood and watched as his silhouette vanished from site before deciding to make my own move, not really wanting to stay around too long by myself. Looking around, I couldn't see any sign of mountains being located nearby, and decided to guess which direction would be wise to take. I had wanted to take the right path, which seemed so out in the open that it would be safe. However, with the amount of random attacks increasing from different armies, and judging by the fact it was soon to be night, I headed straight to the left, into the forest unknown. Hopefully if I followed this forest to the end, I would remain safe and possibly find supplies, but being just one lone Manakete in a world full of violence; my chances of survival were already rock bottom. If only I wasn't all alone...


End file.
